Fireless cooker



Aug. 5, 1924. 1,504,139?

` E. R. CARPENTER FIRELESS COOKER Filed March 3l 1923 ll- 7'? 3 *my l//?7 25,v i /7 v E? 35 f5 lliw i v r!` Patented Aug. 5, 1924..

EUGENE ROY CARPENTER, F .ANSONV'ILLEIJ NORTH CAROLINA.

FIRELESS COOKER. 2

Application filed March 31, 1923. Serial No. 629,204.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE R. CARPEN- TER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, `residing at Ansonville, in the county of Anson and 5 State ofNorth Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFireless Cookers, of which the following is a speci-cation, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings..

This invention relates to cooking utensils,

and particularly to tireless cookers.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a tireless cookercomprising a base and a cooker adapted to fit over the base and haveair-tight engagement therewith, the cover being formed with inner andouter walls to provide a vacuum space and the base being iilled withnon-conducting material, the joint between the cover and the base beingat the lower margin of the cover so that the heat will be less likely toescape through the joint between the cover and base.

A further objectis -to provide a construction of this character in whichthe base is formed with a downwardly and outwardly beveled peripheralface while the lower margin of the cover is formed with a downwardly andoutwardly beveled inner face which has wedging and air-tight engagementwith the peripheral face o'f the base to thereby secure an absolutelytight fit be tween the coverand the base.

A still further object is to provide means for detachably connecting thecover to the base including spring fastening members which act as asafety valve so that in case any excess of pressure is generated withinthe cooker the pressure will act to lift the cover of the cooker andpermit the relief of the pressure.

lAnother object is to provide a vapor relief valve preferably located inthe cover and having means whereby it may be manually, opened ormanually closed, the relief valve being so constructed that it isresiliently urged to its closed position, the vapor relief valve beingadapted to be opened a few minutes before the food is removed from thecooker, thus giving a chance for the excess moisture present within the.cooker to escape. l

Other objects have to do with the details of construction `andarrangement of'parts as will appear more fully hereinafter.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinzFigure 1 is a vertical diametrical sectional view through a tirelesscooker constructed in accordance with my invention; j v Figure 2 is afragmentary elevation of the lower portion of the cover of the firelesscooker and the base therefor;

, Figure 3 is an enlarged Sectional view on the line 83 of Figure 1 butshowing the 65 valve opened.

Referring to the drawings, the base of the cooker is formed of sheetmetal brazed or otherwise made to provide a central flat portion 10 withdownwardly and outwardly 70 extending anges 11. The flange extendsdownward and outward for a certain distance, then inward to form a bead12, and then downward and outward and then straight downward, as at 13.This portion V13 is adapted to support the base. Resting upon the bead12 is yan upwardly concave disk 14 and the space between this disk orplate 14 and the central portion 10 is to be filled with asbestos l5 orwith any other 80 suitable heat insulating material. The asbestos may beplaced upon the face of the plate 10 and then the plate 14 forced intolplace beyond the bead 12.

Coacting with the base is a cover, designated generally 16, which coverisl cylindrical in cross section and has an inner wall 17 and an outerwall 18, these walls being made of sheet metal. The inner wall and theouter wall are connected at the lower edge of the cover by a. weldedjoint 19, and disposed within this welded joint is a strengthening web20 U-shaped in` cross section and forming part of the welded joint. Thespace 21 between the outer and inner 95 walls is to be exhausted of air.Theinner wall' 17 atits lower margin is downwardly and outwardlyextended, as `at 22, to fit againstthe downwardly and outwardly eX-tending face of the flange 11 and have an air-tight engagement againstthis flange so that the more firmly the cover is pressed down upon thebase, the tighter will be the joint between the cover and the base.

For the purpose of holding the cover to 105 the base, I provide atdiametrically opposite points on the cover the brackets 23. Thesebrackets are approximately U-shaped in cross section and may be weldedto the outer wall 18 adjacent the lower margin thereof 110 and extendingthrough each bracket is a pivot pin24. Pivotally mounted upon the pivotpin is `an` approximately L-shaped latch vhaving a seat 26. Pivotallymounted upon the base andfpreferably onfthe straight portion 13 are theU-shaped bails 27. The middle portion of each bailis `up wardly bowed,as at 28,.,- lVhen the latch 25 is turned upward to the positionfshownin Figure 1it ywill be obvious that the cover will be drawn downwardagainst the base but that the projecting end of the latch 25 In'a'ybereadily shifted downward by the fingers to release the correspondingbail. These bails 27 are resilient so that the cover is resilientlyurged downward against the base and if any excess pressure is generatedZio within the cooker the pressure will act to lift the cover ag ',ainstthe action of the spring, the pressure will be relieved, and then thespring will act to draw the cover immediately downward vin tight contactwith the base.A The cover atits center is provided with'a handle 29 andthis cover at one side of ift'scenter is formed to vprovide a passage30,; this passage being upwardly tapering.

i Disposed within the passage and adapted to fnor'mally bear againstthis upwardly tapering seat 'formed by the passage is a valvel, theupper end of which carries a head r3 2 preferably having screwthreadedengagement with the valve. Brazed to this head32 is a bowed leaf spring33 which at its ends normally rests upon two bosses 34. When the endsofthe springs rest upon these bosses, the valve `31 will be resilientlydrawn upward against its seat in the passage 30.

When,'however, the valve is turned by the head 32 so that the spring 33is carried off of thebosses 34 and into diametrically oppositedepressions 35 arranged on a line at right angles to the bosses, thenthe valve will be lowered vslightly enough to permit any` vapor whichmay have gathered within the cookerto escape.

, It will be seen that my construction provides a reless cooker whichhas a relatively small outside diameter,r which is light in nweight,which is thoroughly sanitary, there beingvno uneven surface to catchdirt, and every part being easily accessible for scrubloing. Byprovidingv the inverted cover resting upon a fiat base, it will be seen.that artioles to kbe cookedmay be readily placed upon the base in dishesor the like and then the cover placed upon the base instead of thearticle having to be lowered into the vaperture of a tireless cooker, asis usually the case.y Because of the'fact that the joint between thecover and the base comes at the peripheral edge of the base, it isobvious that the heat will not be so llikely to yescape as itwould ifthe'joint were at the upper Iend of the cooker, for the reason that heathas a tendency to rise and will be retained in the upper portion of'aninverted bowlshaped body vso that even if the joint for any reasonbetween the base and the cover is not air-tightyet the heat will notescape from the cooker as it would if the joint were at the upperportion of the cooker.

As before remarked, the spring fasteners `notonly holdV thecover closelydown upon the base but provide for relief of pressure in case thepressure'becoinestoo great with in the cooker and permit the escapeof'steam.

yThe vapor relief valve is particularly useful after the food has beencooked. By opening this valve for a few minutes before the food isremoved from the cooker, the excess moisture is taken out of the food,giving it a much better flavor than it would otherwise have. The cookerVcan be used for any purpose for which a tireless cooker is used and isparticularly advantageous in browning the food. i Y

It will be obvious that an electric heating device might be applied tothe base for the purpose of heating thecontents of the cooker if itbedesired. Inasmuch as this is an obvious thing and heating devices ofthis character have been used before with fireless cookers, l do notdeem it necessary to describe it.

While 1 have illustrated a construction which Ihave found tobe'thoroughly eifective for the purpose intended, 1 do not wish to belimited thereto, as it'is obvious that many changes might be made Vwithregard to the detailsof construction and arrangement ofparts and to thedesign of the cooker without departing from the spirit vof theinvention. j

1. A tireless cooker having a base formed with a downwardly andAoutwardlyinclined peripheral face, and a coverhaving a side wall, theinner face of the side wall at its lower margin being downwardly andoutwardly inclined to fit the peripheral facezof the base, and means fordetachably engaging the cover with the base, saidmeans being resilientto permit the coverto raise from the base.

2. A tireless cooker of the lcharact'er'described comprising a hollowbase formed of sheet metal, the interior of the base being filled withnon-heat-conductive material and the periphery of the base beingdownwardly and outwardly inclined, and a coverhaving a top and asidewall, the t-op and side. walls being hollow andV exhausted of air,lthe inside face of the side wallfatthe lower margin zof the cover lbeingdownwardly and outwardly inclined to fit the'periphf'ral` face of thebase, and. means for detachably locking the cover closed against' thebase. y

3. A tireless cooker of the 'character dej scribed comprising a baseformed of sheet metal, the sheet metal being formed to provide a centrallat portion, then downwardly and outwardly extended, then formed toprovide a circumferential bead and then downwardly extended, a metalplate engaging the base just above the bead, the space between the plateand the central portion of the base being filled with non-conductingmaterial, a cover having an outer and inner wall, the space between saidwalls being exhausted of air, the inner wall being downwardly-andoutwardly inclined at its lower end to fit the peripheral wall of thebase, the outer and inner walls being joined at the lower end of thecover, and means for detachably locking the cover to the base, saidmeans being resilient to permit the cover to lift from the base.

4. A tireless cooker comprising a base having a downwardly and outwardlyinclined peripheral face, a cover having the inner face of its side walldownwardly and outwardly inclined to tit the base, and means fordetachably holding the cover in place upon the base comprising latchespivoted at opposite points on the side wall of the cover, each latchhaving a seat upon its inner face, and yokes pivoted to the base andadapted to be engaged by said seat, the upward movement of the latchesacting to draw the cover downward against the seat.

5. A iireless cooker comprising a base and a cover tting thereon, thecover being formed at its top with a vapor passage, and an upwardlyopening, manually operable valve resiliently urged to its seat in saidpassage and having a handle exterior of the the valve may be manuallypushed downward.

7. In a tireless cooker, a cover having an upwardly tapering passage, anupwardly tapering valve mounted in the passage, a

leaf springcarried by the valve and extending in opposite directions, ahead whereby the valve may be rotated, and oppositely disposed bosseswith which the ends of the leaf spring are adapted to engage when thevalve is rotated in one direction to thereby lift the valve to itsclosed position.

8. A tireless cooker comprising a base and a cover having a top and sidewalls fitting over the base, an escape passage extending through thetop, an upwardly tapering valve disposed in said passage, a springvattached to the upper end of the valve and bearing against the upperface of the top, a head whereby the valve and spring may be rotated,oppositely disposed bosses with which the spring is adapted to engage tothereby yield ingly hold the valve to its seat, the top at diametricallyopposite points and on a line at right angles to the bosses beingprovided with depressions to permit the spring to be relaxed and thevalve opened.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature.

EUGENE ROY CARPENTER.

